Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-28

year is delightful. There is not
much good land between Denver
and Salt Lake City. There were
some alfalfa fields in the Platte valley
in Colorado, but most of the country
was nothing but barren plains, COW
cred in some places with sage brush,
foot or two high. The lands have
the appearance Of being utterly
worthless, but they make fine grazing
fields and cattle keep fat on them, as
We could judge from the condition of
the many herds we saw. The most
important town between Denver and
Cheyenne is Greeley, Col, but I did
not stop there. After leaving CheY-
enne we had a long aud tiresome
stretch of 553 miles to Salt Lake City
1t took the heavily laden train "a
hours to make the trip. Much Of the
country was passed through in the
night, but that traversed in the day
time was one monotanous expanse OF
sage brush, with now and then lit
lie village with a few shabby houses
and a dozen or two inhabitants.
There were few little towns on the
route worthy of more that a passing
notice. Laramie was passed in the
night, also Sherman, which is 5000
feet above the sea level, and Rawlins
was reached by breakfast. These
places are all cattle towns, the last
named being 1913 miles from Chey-
enne and containing about 1000 in
habitants. 1t is the largest shipping
point in the Territory. After leav-
ing Rawlins the towns were all small
and further apart. AT some of them
typical cowboys could be seen about
the saloon-the principal establish
ment of the place-with pistols buck
led about them and wearing long
hair, broad-brimmed sombreros, fan
mel shirts and thick heavy clothing,
but no overcoats, although the re-
mains of fourteen inches of snow
could be seen at many places along
the road and the mountains in the
distance were still covered, giving
quite wintry appearance to the sur
roundings. Going through Wyom-
ing 1 saw wolf trotting along by
the road, and ravens, magpies and
wild geese and ducks were among
the birds that appeared in sight from
time to time. At Rawlins life in
surance agent got on the train, who
told me that he had been there q
week and had written $500 Of in
surance. He went 162 miles further
and got off to work the town of Green
River. AT this point I saw the first
Indians. They were lazy, dirty
looking set, wrapped in government
blankets. There were several bucks
and a few squaws, one or two Of the
latter having papooses strapped on
their backs and several small children
budding under their blanket skirts,
These belonged to the Ute tribe. La
ter on saw Shoshones in Utah and
Plutes in Nevada. They were hang.
ing around almost every station be-
tween Green River, Wymg, Ty., and
Reno New.
AT 10 o'clock Friday night 1 reached
Ogden, town of 5000 Inhabitants
where l changed cars and ran down
81 miles on the Utah Central past the
Great Salt Lake to Salt Lake City
the headquarters of Mormanism
which was reached an hour and a
half later. Desiring to see all 1 could
Of the Mormans, 1 went to the Valley
House, hotel kept by Norman and
situated within halfa block of the
Sacred Square. This is the best
Norman hotel in the place and the
entertainment was very good and the
rate only $l.5O per day. After eating
breakfast Saturday morning-being
waited on at the table by a Norman
girl of striking beauty and as modest
as she was pretty-I started out to
see the sights. The first place Wis
tied was the Sacred Square. With
other tourists was shown through
the Tabernacle and Assembly Hall.
The first is $50 by $50 feet and 70 feet
high. 1t will seat IL, 900 and contains
one of the finest organs in the world.
The ceiling is decorated with festoons
of evergreens and artificial flowers,
which were put up IL years ago.
The acoustic arrangements are so
fine that pin dropped in the rear
sounded 10 those in front like brick
bat had been thrown upon the floor.
I registered my name in a book pro-
vided for that purpose and rested for
a moment in Brigham Young's chair
in the stand.
The Assembly Hall is l20 by 68 feet
and will seat $500. The ceiling is
covered with pictures of life size.
One of these represents John the
comforting the Aaronic
priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oil
YER Cowdery. Another represents
Peter, James and John coEferring the
priesthood on Smith.
A Norman preacher named McMur-
rim conducted the party through and
favored them with 4 sermon Of about
thirty minutes. This saved me a day
n Salt Lake City, aSI intended to
Itay over Sunday to hear sermon.
We went next 10 the unfinished Tenn
lie. The corner stone of this was
aid in 1853 aud $4,000 have al